You’re not alone in feeling uncertain about where to start! I had a similar experience—some friends weren’t too helpful either 
. Eventually, I decided to go with Practicum by Yandex, and it turned out to be a great mix of self-paced learning with the bonus of mentor support.
They gave me a legitimate QA Tester certificate that helped me land my first job in QA. Also, it’s worth checking if any local community colleges offer QA certifications. They’re usually more affordable and still very much legitimate.